Things can't get a whole lot better for Western North Carolina residents in the natural, celestial wonderland of the mountains this year.

First, a good chunk of southwestern NC sits right in the path of totality of the Great American Solar Eclipse Aug. 21. That means we who live here get first-dibs on where to snag the best viewing spots. And most of us live within an hour's drive of the center line — the line at which point the moon will completely cover the sun.

The duration of the eclipse will last from a few seconds to over 2½ minutes, depending on how close you are to the center line, leaving us all in the dark with nothing to see but a dazzling display of nighttime stars and planets, and the corona of the sun.

(Everyone watching the eclipse must wear specially coated eclipse viewing glasses to avoid burning their retinas. These are available at the Asheville Museum of Science, Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, The Compleat Naturalist in Biltmore Village, Ingles supermarkets, through the Great Smoky Mountains Association online store and other sources.)

And that's not all. The mountains are also home to two of the most famous national parks in the country. The Blue Ridge Parkway stretches 469 miles from Virginia's Shendandoah Mountains to the Great Smokies in Cherokee. But the only places to see the eclipse on the parkway are in parts of Jackson County and Haywood County.

The total solar eclipse will wash over the westernmost side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with plenty of pull-offs, campsites and picnic areas from which to watch the show.

There is a slight wrinkle, however. The parkway is one of the most visited sites in the National Park Service — last year 15.2 million people visited. The Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited national park, with 11 million visitors last year.

We can assume large portions of those visitors will want to return for the eclipse, park officials say.

Towns from Cherokee to Robbinsville, Andrews, Sylva, Sapphire, Rosman and Brevard — all in the path of totality — will hold special viewing parties and festivities.

But many want to share this one-in-a-lifetime moment in Western North Carolina with their beloved parks.

The Blue Ridge Parkway has created a page at tinyurl.com/y72h3wyy listing all the overlooks, visitor centers and picnic areas that will have either total or partial solar eclipse viewing, and which ones will have bathrooms.

One of the most popular spots on the North Carolina side of the parkway is the Parkway Visitor Center at Milepost 384 in Asheville, and the Craggy Dome Overlook and Craggy Gardens Visitor center at Milepost 364.

The Craggy Dome trail has 52 parking spaces and the Craggy visitor center has 43. If you get there at the crack of dawn you might snag a space, and a nice patch of grass to spread out a picnic. But — and it's a big but — these areas are not in the path of totality.

They will each receive 98.7 percent total eclipse. Some scientists say anything below 100 percent is hardly worth viewing. But because these areas are not in the direct line of solar fire, you might luck out since there won't be as many people. (It's all a game of luck, actually).

Teresa and Kayedon O'Neal of Pennsylvania take a hike at Waterrock Knob recently. "It's so beautiful here. We're sorry we can't be here for the solar eclipse," Teresa said.(Photo11: Karen Chávez/KChavez@CITIZEN-TIMES.com)

"We're working with law enforcement rangers and adjacent communities to prepare for big crowds. We will have staff and volunteers to host viewing sites, portable toilets, people with information and eyes and ears that will be helping with crowds," said parkway spokeswoman Leesa Brandon.

"Our intent is to accommodate as many people as possible. If the grass is dry, we can park more people off the road, but those are decisions we’ll have to make close to the day."

Some other beautiful spots eclipse picnic with trout dip, cheese and crackers is Devils Courthouse, Milepost 423, which will have 68 seconds of totality, and the Haywood/Jackson county line at Milepost 431, with 60 seconds of totality.

Perhaps one of the most strikingly beautiful spots to stop and look toward the heavens is Waterrock Knob. About a 45-minute drive from Asheville, via U.S. 19/74 west to the parkway entrance at Balsam, the area is dotted with trails, including a new section of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, that sit at a lofty 6,000 feet elevation.

The area has some picnic tables, but also lots of grass to sit and chew a sandwich. Or bring some lawn chairs. This is also expected to be one of the most crowded spots on Aug. 21, so expect traffic and a long day.

While the moment of totality will hit about 2:30 across the mountains, the moon will slowly start to cover the sun at about 1 p.m. and leave the sun at about 4 p.m.

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Don Cline, founder of Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, discusses the total eclipse that will occur August 21, 2017.
Angela Wilhelm/awilhelm@citizen-times.com

"I wouldn’t wait until 2 p.m. on Aug. 21 to head out to the parkway. Bring food, water and plenty of activities," Brandon said. "Come prepared. If you’re planning to spend the day on the parkway, make a list of your top choices. If one is full, go to the next. Twenty years from now it will be a very memorable thing to have been on the parkway that day."

What to expect in the Smokies

The big daddy of viewing areas in the Smokies — Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the Smokies — will have a spectacular all-day viewing event. But the ticketed affair has long been sold out.

There are many other places in the southwestern part of the park that will experience totality, with places to picnic including front-country areas Cades Cove and Oconaluftee.

Want to have a picnic during the total solar eclipse Aug. 21? Bring lots of food and water and get to your spot early.(Photo11: Karen Chávez/KChavez@CITIZEN-TIMES.com)

The park has created an interactive map to help people find a site close to the center line at tinyurl.com/yctrjjrq.

Backcountry sites that lie within the path of totality are 83 percent booked. Front-country sites that require reservations that lie within the path of totality are fully booked, including Cades Cove, Elkmont and Smokemont. Front-country campsites outside of the path of totality still have availability and can be reserved through recreation.gov.

"It's hard to estimate how many people may come to the park to experience the eclipse, but we understand that many people want to be in a natural area free of artificial lights and sounds when totality happens," said park spokeswoman Dana Soehn.

Clingmans Dome Road is the only park road closed during the solar eclipse, but park visitors should be prepared for high volume traffic across all roads, she said. Vehicles cannot stop in the roadway and must be parked in designated parking areas. If roads become congested or cause a safety concern, rangers may temporarily close them.

The vast meadow at Cades Cove, on the Tennessee side of the Smokies is one of the most popular destinations in the park. The park will host a free, informal experiential learning eclipse program at Cable Mill, which will experience totality for 2 minutes, 5 seconds. Once parking is full, though, access to Cades Cove area will be closed traffic.

Oconaluftee Visitor Center, with its adjacent field at Mountain Farm on the North Carolina side, will experience totality for 1 minute, 3 seconds. There will also be a free program here.

The Great Smoky Mountains Association is selling the Outdoor Recreation Regional Eclispe map at smokiesinformation.org to help plan your day.

Wherever you go, make sure it's not deep in the forest or surrounded by trees. While lovely to look at, they will ruin a view of the sky.

Tips for visiting the Blue Ridge Parkway on eclipse day:

Expect heavy traffic. Have plenty of patience and fuel for the journey.

Plan several options for viewing locations and get there early in the day. If parking is full at your first choice location, move to another.

Bring activities to pass the hours while you are waiting for the eclipse to occur.

Overnight parking is not allowed on the parkway.

Pisgah Inn (Milepost 408) parking will be for guests of the inn and restaurant only.